The New York Islanders have re-signed forward Mathew Barzal to a three-year contract, worth an AAV of $7 million.
Mathew Barzal on any possibility he didn't want to stay with #Isles: "No, absolutely not. The whole negotiation was totally respectable on both sides. It's pretty clear I love it on the Island. I love being here - this is a fun place to be and a fun place to play."
Barzal was the top restricted free agent remaining who was still in need of a contract for the coming season. He’s coming off a 2019-20 season where he scored 19 goals and 60 points in 68 games, a pace of 23 goals and 72 points per 82 games.
ANALYSIS
This is a fair contract for both sides. Barzal is the team’s top star and this bridge deal retains his services for a good number of years, while coming in at a reasonable price. It’s identical in AAV and term to the one Calgary Flames’ forward Matthew Tkachuk signed roughly a year ago. Here’s the comparison in stats, based on points per 82 game average:
Barzal: 72 P/82 in contract year, 73 career P/82
Tkachuk: 79 P/82 in contract year, 64 career P/82
Tkachuk did have the higher points per 82 average in his contract year, however, Barzal had the higher points per 82 over his career, up to the point when he signed. The cap also hasn’t changed since Tkachuk signed his deal and considering Barzal is a center and Tkachuk is a winger (and centers are often paid at a premium), it’s a fair deal for sure.
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